Next generation Volkswagen Polo revealed

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the world most successful supermini and Volkswagen has just upped the anti by unveiling a new generation model in Germany. The new Polo will have several first in class features making it even better than the older outgoing model.

Visually, the new generation Polo is quite similar to the older generation car and is more evolutionary in terms of design as compared to a drastic revolutionary change. In essence it reminds us of what Honda has done with its new City. The new Volkswagen Polo gets a new face with a new set of headlights and a new bumper with a much larger intake. The front end also has a much more sculpted three-dimensional look about it with a new chrome strip element that joins the two fog lamps. This trim piece gives the new Volkswagen Polo a much wider look and also moves the visual bulk of the car downward making it appear sleeker. The big news on the exterior though is the new LED headlight. Although it is unlikely that the LED headlamps will make it to India as part of standard equipment, the new headlights with integrated daytime running lights might make it on the more expensive versions of the car. The Polo’s LED headlights are first in class in this segment worldwide. The normal headlamp cluster too has been redesigned and follows a twin lamp setup as opposed to the conventional single barrel setup. 

Apart from the front, the rear end too has gone through a few evolutionary changes such as a set of redesigned tail lamps and a new bumper. The new bumper also integrates into the wheel well much better than before giving it a much more distinctive and sportier look. The rear reflectors too have been moved and now feature slotted into the bumper itself. On the side though, the Polo looks almost identical with the only real change being the new alloy wheel design. Although India will only be getting a 15 inch (maybe a 16-inch option on the GT), globally, the new Volkswagen Polo is also offered with a 17 inch option on every car apart from the GTi and CrossPolo on which they are standard. 

The Polo’s largest redesign though has been under the hood. With new range of Euro 6 ready engines available in Germany when the car is officially launched in a few months, there is a host of new petrol and diesel options to choose from. The big news is the new 1.0-litre TSi engine which produces 90PS of power. There is also two new spec 1.4-litre TSi engine which make 150PS and 192PS and will power the BlueMotionGT and the GTi correspondingly. Both these engines also come with features like direct injection and cylinder deactivation which Volkswagen calls ACT- Active Cylinder Management. 

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There are also a host of new diesel engines on offer globally. The 1.2-litre diesel has officially been retired with all Polos to be powered by either a 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre TDi engine henceforth. The 1.4-litre will be available globally in wither 75PS or 90PS versions and a 1.6-litre TDi engine will be launched later this year with 105PS on tap. 

The new Volkswagen Polo will also feature a heavily redesigned interior. Most of the work on the interior has gone on to a completely new infotainment system. With a whole host of new features such as a 5-inch touch screen and built in navigation and multimedia capabilities offered on the higher spec cars, the Polo will finally be at par with competition. The new touch screen will also feature smart phone like pinch zoom capabilities and will have sensors that will show menus as it senses a hand near it. The new Volkswagen Polo will also be available with rear view camera equipped with proximity and parking sensors. 

The new Volkswagen Polo will also feature Volkswagen’s newly developed electro-hydraulic steering that is set to offer a much better feel of the new Polo and offer a more precise driving dynamic. The new Volkswagen Polo will also offer a selectable suspension setting option that will allow the driver to choose between a standard and a sportier (stiffer) setup for spirited driving. The new Volkswagen Polo will also employ safety technologies like the new ‘Post-Collision Braking System’, driver alert system, Front ambient traffic monitoring systems with city emergency braking and adaptive cruise control (ACC). Most of these systems will be offered as standard fitment in all models in European spec cars although it is highly unlikely that most of these systems will ever make it to the Indian spec Volkswagen Polos when the facelift is launched here either late this year or early next year. 

On the whole, the new Volkswagen Polo might look evolutionary in terms of design and styling but is a huge step forward in terms of mechanical and electronic technology and its integration into a small hatchback. The Polo has seen quite a slump in sales recently and Volkswagen should seriously consider bringing this new version to India as quickly as possible to combat the likes of the soon to be launched Maruti Suzuki Swift facelift and the new Hyundai i20 amongst others.